At some point I set sales to be transparent. Now I can't find the control for it again (someone telling me where I found it would be a help), but that isn't issue. I start with my sails transparent, but when I return to OW after a battle, they aren't any more. I return to port and sail out again, they are transparent. If I go into another battle I can see through them, back in OW I can't.
Anyone know how to fix this?

Sorry, I don't mean to bring this back from the dead, but this was the first time back since I wrote that. In 16, 17 hundreds you would have gone to your outpost and organized your resource gathering, sailed (or sent a message by packet boat) to the port your cargo ship was in for the captain to come get it. Sailing times are heavily condensed, so while it may be an inconvenience to do all that sailing, I thought that was kind of the point of the game. I may be reassessing that impression, however.

FTL sailers in the OW is quite sufficient. Teleportation should be restricted to science fiction/fantasy. Major ports have production facilities and are trade hubs for goods from Europe. Smaller ports are resource collection points. That is pretty much how it was during the time frame of the age of sail, and fairly consistent today.
Large ship building and repair facilities would be at the major ports. Manufactured goods would be available for sale cheaper, while raw material and consumables would fetch higher prices. This is how a transport economy works.

It should be very easy to become a pirate: attack a warship from a country yours isn't at war with that didn't attack you first, or attack any trader ship would be two examples. Big BUT here. If there were no one left to report it, (you scuttle the ship and drop the cargo at places you aren't known) why would you instantly be declared a pirate? Piracy is a crime: no witnesses; no evidence; no crime; no consequence. If you are spotted, however, there should be serious and costly repercussions. Any and all ships, goods and buildings (and gold the nations can get their hands on) are confiscated.
Make it so Pirate can not be selected as a starting faction, and the cost high enough to make it the serious crime it was, and you may have less people choosing the pirate life.
The set up now in place is so completely unrealistic that nothing you do really has all that much effect on your life as a ship's captain and owner. There is little to no maintenance and upkeep. Provisions are being considered, but non-pirates don't seem to worry about maintaining ships or paying their crews and that, more than any other factor, kept pirate ships small.
I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but the pirate situation is related to having nations. In the time of sail Nationality defined who your were. Even the most mercenary of the privateers would hesitate to sign on with their nation's enemies -- it just wasn't done. A lot of pirates (some of whom were out of work privateers) became pirates as a protest against their "country" -- Queen Anne's Revenge was named that for a reason. Declaring a change of country, especially in time of war, was considered treason. You may find a home with your new masters, but to your previous countrymen, you are a traitor and little more than a pirate yourself. The current situation of starting a new character (even with the same name) seems to reflect that part of it at least.

In my opinion, droptuned had the best suggestion back on page 2. Well thought out and presented, sir.
Add in maintenance and upkeep for anyone not in the navy, since the Admiralty covers its warships, and you will naturally limit the use of big ships without specifically telling someone they can't have one. Pirates, traders and privateers need to make a profit so they can't use expensive ships for very long. The military types can use them when assigned without having to pay for them, but the rewards are far less for prizes and commandeered cargo. (But they should get a paycheck...)
Those who want to be builders, shipwrights or shopkeepers could probably find a way to supply the captains with what they need. Although that may be beyond the intended scope of the game.

Telescope in OW. (This is the big one for me.) I want to be able to identify ship flags and class before I get to close to escape in my small ship.
Pictures of available ships before purchase. I don't spend money on things site unseen IRL, why do it in-game when I'm unfamiliar with all available ships.
I like the bounty on players idea.
Notations on the map, but if you add navigators they should be very expensive to hire.
Hiring pirates for missions against an opposing faction (granting plausible deniability) sounds good.
But I'm not sure the "attack other faction = instant pirate" idea is the best. No survivors may lead to suspicion, but it takes witnesses to prove piracy. I see it for the trials and tests, but in release, I think it might be overkill.

So, from a game viewpoint, what is the difference between trading and smuggling? You're moving cargo, all be it contraband, and selling it. If a pirate can't enter a regular port what would be the point? Does smuggling effect the status of a neutral? These may seem as basic questions, but I just bought in and I'm looking for a career path.

Average price of purchased goods is how most trade games work it and it makes the most sense. Buy commodities at three or four ports and you can forget what you paid for it over all and average is really the best number to use, Prices as of last visit is also useful. Easier to figure if this low priced commodity you found has a potential market or not. I would list it in a log if I sailed cargo for a living, so maybe it should be available info.

On diplomacy:
What would be the status of neutrals in such a system. Could they sign on to one of the warring parties as a privateer to attack enemy ships and take cargo and prise ships without being labeled as a pirate as was the practice during the era, or would any such attack be considered priacy?

A PvE server would fill the need for SP play. It would also give a place to learn the key commands by reflex instead of hunting for them in them as a frigatte bears down on you as you try to edge as close to the wind as you can to get that little bit of extra speed you need to get away. After that, except for a quite sail on a Sunday afternoon, I'm not sure I see the need for SP with this one.

I agree with Johny Reb's viewpoint. Whether I feel the urge to take a frigate out to hunt the enemies on my chosen nationality, run a triangle trade route, or pirate others trading in the Caribbean would depend on how I feel that day. A trade run with multiple stops (including some smuggling, maybe) is going to take some time even with time compression. The patience necessary for a pirate to sit and wait for a likely target will mean time as well. The quickest and most likely for instant gratification is the frigate or SOL looking for a fight. But all three require different ships and my upright Naval Captain, or profit-minded trader is not the best choice for hunting as a pirate. Yes I want it all, and I don't want to have to retire/kill/delete one to play another.
Currently I have a game or two where I have that set up running in their theme and it works rather well for the way I play. I understand the view of those wanting one/one; even the individual who confessed manipulating the system in Eve OL. All allowing only one character/account will do is make so that only those willing to purchase multiple keys will be able to game the system. It won't stop it.

I returned from faire at the end of March to find this was just out of reach. Now I sit, longingly watching the quays hoping against hope to see a keel being laid for a new round of availability. I need a tall ship and a star to steer her by...